Widows' 'trauma' at pension delays

Two widows have said they faced emotional trauma and financial challenges, due to delays in their late husbands' pensions being paid.

The BBC has spoken to two recently bereaved women who have been impacted by problems at West Midlands Pension Fund (WMPF).

The WMPF has said the installation of a new computer software system in July 2023 caused more than a year of delays.

The organisation has now apologised to the women, stating the delays were "unacceptable" and it took full responsibility for the poor service they had received.

The fund, based in Wolverhampton, administers the pensions for employees and retirees of more than 800 organisations in the West Midlands.

Hundreds of thousands of public sector workers, including council staff, have their retirement funds invested in the scheme.

Last year the BBC reported that thousands of recently retired WMPF members were facing long delays in receiving their payments.

Maxine George, 61, who lives in Wolverhampton, said she lost her husband, Martin, in December 2023.

He worked in a civilian role for West Midlands Police, but retired in 2008 due to ill health. Maxine subsequently cared for him for 15 years.

She said her husband received his pension "smoothly" between his retirement and his death.

WMPF stopped the pension payment into his bank account within a week of the end of his life, she said.

"You've lost somebody, you've got to get to terms with losing them and you've got to get to terms with having no money. I was his carer.

"The pension was our only income and it was just gone."

Despite completing the paperwork for the payments to be transferred to her, as his widow, she said she was yet to receive any payment, nine months on.

"You've got to keep worrying every month if you've got enough money to pay the bills.

"I'd love to know how many people there are in my situation. As an individual you feel you're banging your head against a brick wall."

She said the prospect of approaching the first anniversary of Martin's death without his pension made her feel "awful".

"He'd be very angry. He loved his job. He wouldn't have expected this at all."

Jennifer Baiss, 76, who is originally from Birmingham but now lives in Droitwich, said her husband Roger died in February, following two years of treatment for pancreatic cancer.

Both their pensions are held within WMPF. She had previously worked in teaching and her husband for West Midlands Police's forensics team.

She said her husband's pension payments were quickly stopped following his death.

Despite her efforts to urgently complete the paperwork for payments to be transferred to her, she said she was still waiting seven months later.

"The grief and the trauma you're going through, then having to deal with all of this has been absolutely awful."

In the last week Jennifer informed West Midlands Pension Fund that she was planning to speak to the BBC, within an hour of notifying the fund she had an email from a manager to inform her that her case was being checked.

She said this response was a contrast to the customer service she received until that point.

"I'm very frustrated and very angry. I just wanted to speak out to help other people that are in the same position and are not getting anywhere."

She said her husband "would be appalled to know I'm having to fight and battle".

Tony Barnsley, branch secretary of Sandwell Unison, said reports from members suggested the situation of delays had not improved.

"Imagine being told you're not getting any money next month, because of a computer issue. Then to be told you wouldn't get any money the month after that or the month after that," he said.

Local government employees often retire before the state pension age, and rely entirely on the private pension they have made contributions into to pay for their living expenses, he added.

"Those people can fall into financial hardship very quickly. It's creating a massive upset."

In response, WMPF said: "We want to apologise sincerely to the individuals who have been waiting unreasonable and unacceptable times for the payment of their beneficiary pensions.

"We can confirm that both individuals have been paid this week and will have received all backdated payments to the date of entitlement, with monthly payrolls being made from October.

"The delay experienced by these individuals is unacceptable and we take full responsibility for the poor service they have received. We will be reaching out to them individually."